It looks quite similar to jackfruit, but it’s actually…
We must admit that the tropical fruit never stops making us admire and wonder. Recently, when a fruit that looks similar to small jackfruit was shared on social networks, many netizens expressed questions. Many people believe that it is jackfruit, but the truth is completely different.
At first glance, this yellow fruit is quite the same as jackfruit, so it’s understandable that many people think they are jackfruit. But it is a different kind of fruit – Annona glabra
What is Annona glabra?
According to wikipedia, Annona glabra is a tropical fruit tree in the family Annonaceae, in the same genus as the soursop and cherimoya. Common names include pond apple, alligator apple (so called because American alligators often eat the fruit), swamp apple, corkwood, bobwood, and monkey apple. The tree is native to Florida in the United States, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and West Africa. It is common in the Everglades. The A. glabra tree is considered an invasive species in Sri Lanka and Australia. It grows in swamps, is tolerant of saltwater, and cannot grow in dry soil.
Uses
Unlike the other Annona species, the pulp of the fruit when ripe is yellow through orange instead of whitish. The fruit is edible for humans and its taste is reminiscent of ripe Honeydew melon. It can be made into jam, and it is a popular ingredient of fresh fruit drinks in Maldives. In the past, the seeds were crushed and cooked in coconut oil and applied to hair to get rid of lice
The flesh is sweet-scented and agreeable in flavor, but it has never attained general popular use unlike soursop and other related fruits. Experiments in South Florida have been conducted to use it as a superior rootstock for sugar-apple or soursop. While the grafts initially appear to be effective, a high percentage of them typically fail over time. Soursop on pond-apple rootstock has a dwarfing effect.
Recent research suggests that its alcoholic seed extract contains anticancer
